“My dad died in 2011,” says actor Kyle MacLachlan. “There was not a lot of sharing.”
Star of Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet and Dune, MacLachlan tells us his agent encouraged him to write a book of his life’s work.
“I realised I’m of a certain age. My son Callum is 16. He might be interested in a decade. There’s some good, some not so good.”
It’s the 19th of October and the lights have gone down in Manchester Opera House. I can hardly see my notebook in front of me so it’s going to have to be manic block caps. The artwork behind the stage includes a QR code for submitting questions. As MacLachlan’s work has frequently been in the surreal theme, I thought he might like Popbitch’s conundrum of ‘who do you think would win in a fight between a baboon and a badger,’ but this was sadly excluded from the readings. Not only is it very dark but I’m on the upper row, one of the last seats available when I booked, and it’s terrifyingly steep. If for some reason I was to trip and fall, I’ve got a long way down.
Podcaster and interviewer Edith Bowman starts by asking about Fictional Selves, MacLachlan’s newly released autobiography and the subject of tonight’s talk.
“This other Kyle is in there, like a judge,” he says. “He’s part of the journey. Everyone has their inner critic. I have to keep him quiet for most of the day until I have to get up for a wee.” The book, he tells us, cuts to the chase by opening at Dune, David Lynch’s 1984 sci-fi opera, and he uses that as leverage to go back to the past. “I don’t journal. Whatever I remember must have been important.”
EB: Memories change over time. Did writing give a different perspective?
KM: Yes. It’s important to go back, to be 18. It came back quickly. I’d worked on The Doors. Jim talked from the perspective of today. He didn’t want to go back in time.
It takes me a second, but I realise MacLachlan never actually did nightclub security. He’s referring to the 1991 movie, and the Jim – Jim Morrison – had died 20 years before the movie came out. I haven’t seen it yet. Maybe I’m mixing things up myself, or maybe this is part of MacLachlan’s surrealist nature, that made him such a good fit for all of David Lynch’s work… which we’ll doubtless get into.
EB: He probably did too many drugs, Kyle. How much did Frank Herbert mean?
Herbert wrote the original Dune novel on which the 1984 movie – and the 2021 remake – are based.
KM: I was 14 or 15 when I read the book first. I recently found a copy. It took me a couple of times. It was intense, but eventually I cracked it. I was immersed, and felt safe there. I loved Paul. I fancied myself as him. I’d write Dune quotes on the board in junior high. I got a call in 1983 on my answer machine. I thought, someone’s pranking me. David Lynch sent me down from Seattle to meet him. I told him I knew the book well. The first meeting, we just talked about our homes, our childhoods, and shooting BB guns. We shared a love of red wine. We didn’t talk film. He handed me the script at the end of the meeting, and got a screen test. I pretended I knew what I was doing. I panicked, and looked at the camera to do the speech, and I fluffed it. I said, ‘I don’t think I can do this.’ David put his hand on my shoulder and reassured me. It worked. Here I am.
EB: The relationship is like father / son.
KM: Dune and Blue Velvet were the first 2 movies, and they couldn’t be more different. David Lynch was like a fish out of water, it was so big. Blue Velvet was like being back.
EB: Then came (TV series) Twin Peaks.
KM: I was always going to be (lead character, FBI Special Agent) Dale Cooper. Mark (Frost, writer) didn’t know me. We talked about golf, not films. It was all very casual.
EB: You filmed in Mexico. Was it like a gift?
KM: I think so. On Dune, all eyes were on us in Mexico City. It was pretty cool. Blue Velvet was like a tiny blip on the screen. The pressure on David Lynch was massive. Twin Peaks was like, ‘whatever. David Lynch doing TV is never gonna work.’ Surprise surprise. I had a great time in the locations. They were beautiful, but freezing. We made adjustments, but it was what David wanted to make. I’m not actually a huge fan of cherry pie. People get mad about that.
(Cooper loving his cherry pie, normally in Norma’s Double R Diner, was a recurring theme on Twin Peaks.)
EB: Did you imagine it would be what it was?
KM: I never thought we’d come back. ABC cancelled it, then 20 years later, they somehow found a way – with producer / ownership things – and we got to go back. I played 3 strange, wonderful characters.
EB: What surprised you?
KM: I didn’t think I could bring Cooper back. I had to let the suit out a bit. It was 18 episodes, and Cooper didn’t appear til 16. I had 2 characters. The other had to be the scariest motherfucker. Dougie was blank. I was getting bored of it, but it was really fun.
EB: The honesty in the book is great, but there are some not so good moments. Did you go, ‘do I go there?’
KM: You steel yourself. There’s so much we don’t lead with. You understand context at a certain age. You learn in life through failure, you know, projects that eluded me.
EB: There were challenges that you didn’t choose. It wasn’t a bed of roses. It’s ‘who’s desperate and wants to work?’
KM: Some decisions are suspect. Sometimes you have the best of intentions, but go off the rails. Showgirls is my best example.
(Paul Verhoeven’s 1995 erotic thriller bombed at the box office, was panned by the critics and is regarded to have destroyed Elizabeth Berkley’s career.)
KM: But it finally found a home. Making Showgirls was ridiculous. I love Verhoeven’s films like RoboCop, Basic Instinct. So, Showgirls? Great idea!
He glances ironically to the audience.
KM: I was excited to play the character (Zack Carey, a casino entertainment director). He’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing. I have ridiculous stories between me and Paul. I was paying too much attention, it was like a stage show. I went skiing on days off. It seemed okay. I gave an elevated performance… then I watched the first screening. I thought, oh no. I suddenly got sick and couldn’t continue with the press tour. Now it’s an audience favourite, but that wasn’t the plan.
EB: You started in community theatre.
KM: The theatre was in an apple cold storage warehouse, more an orchard. Mom was involved in theatre. There was much resistance from me and my brothers, but I saw girls from other schools, so that got me into the process! My brothers and I ran the concessions, the lights etc., then I got a speaking role. It felt very natural. I took no drama classes, but I took loads of others. I was a terrible student, but acting felt good. I was in The University of Washington, I saw a really goo play, and I thought, ‘I want to do that.’ I got accepted. Theatre is still important, but it’s tough doing it 8 times a week! I had a fun experience in The West End with Woody Harrelson. He wouldn’t get high until after the show. It’s hard work, but when you do it, there’s a community. You feel welcome. I miss that.
EB: Do you love comedy, and being silly?
KM: In plays you can modulate, but in film there’s none of that.
EB: There are some characters you’ve done over a period of time.
KM: It’s a joy. I’ve done Fallout (post apocalyptic TV series based on the videogame, in which he portrays Hank MacLean) for years. The characters can swing direction, but I love the change. In Sex and the City, though, (where he played Dr. Trey MacDougal, the one-time husband of Charlotte York) you don’t know whether you’re gonna be naked or not.
EB: You did theatre, then became well-known with Dune.
KM: It was a strange experience. Dune did not do well. I had nothing to go to after. It didn’t have value. Then they came with Blue Velvet, which was discredited, but critics had to figure it out. Twin Peaks had success in TV with my strange character. I’ve always distrusted fame. Either it happens or it doesn’t.
EB: You’ve had friendships throughout life. Who’s important?
KM: I worked with Patrick Stewart in Dune and he became a good friend, as did Laura (Dern, Blue Velvet co-star), Isabella (Rossellini, same film). Albert Finney taught me to drink Burgundy (wine). I was Claudius in Hamlet and Tesla in Edison. I share a common thing about work with Ethan (presumably Hawke, costar in the Tesla Biopic and Hamlet adaptation) who’s so inspirational. Then we lost Dennis (Hopper, Blue Velvet costar). We were a little group.
EB: Have you thought about directing?
KM: Not really. It’s a lot of hard work. I directed Tales from the Crypt. You’ve gotta make a decision every 10 seconds. I do love what I do, assembling.
EB: Your grandad left Scotland for the States.
KM: He changed the Mac to Mc; I changed it back.
EB: Writing an autobiography requires a little retrospect and introspection. What has Kyle MacLachlan learned along the way?
KM: I’m a little kinder. I’ve learned from some idiot moves. When you get older you learn gratitude.
Next, MacLachlan takes some of the questions that the audience submitted earlier.
AUDIENCE QUESTION: Did you keep any props from a set?
KM: I didn’t know that was a thing. From Dune I’ve got the signet ring on the set of my podcast, and I have one of the rubber-tipped knives. I’ve also got an outfit from The Flintstones.
AQ: Have you got a Halloween costume?
KM: Now I have. It’s pretty short!
AQ: What’s the best Twin Peaks line?
KM: Diane…
The room applauds.
KM: I’m holding in my hand a small box.
AQ: Would you write your own screenplay?
KM: I do wanna write more. I tried screenplays, but it’s difficult. I like writing and directing. I’m lazy at heart. You know when something’s not gonna work. You can see when writers are getting to a point. As and actor you’ve got to say, ‘I see where you’re going, but you’ve jumped over a ravine.’
AQ: Have you raised your son on movies?
KM: He doesn’t really like them. I took him to a feature at 9 or 10 and it got kinda overwhelming.
AQ: You bring a certain charm to characters. Has it come from anyone?
KM: It’s come from Edith Bowman.
EB: That’s the charm.
KM: It has to make sense. You have to feel what I’m feeling. But also it has to surprise and mystify.
EB: How do you find your characters?
KM: I’ll read the script, reread it, note on how to say it, then it’ll remind me or tell me how to move. The more you read, the more you take it apart.
AQ: What’s your favourite song to lipsynch to?
KM: I’m a huge Zeppelin fan.
EB: The Narnia trailer (in cinemas February ‘27) has Stairway to Heaven.
AQ: What was Dennis Hopper like?
KM: He was a suave motherfucker. As cool as a cucumber. He invited me to a Neil Young concert, and we went to see Neil in the dressing area – myself, Dennis and (Blue Velvet co-star) Dean Stockwell. Neil was quiet, chatty. (Impersonating Young) “Well, Doc, see you all outside.” Then he hits the stage like a hurricane. Like, “who is this demon?!” You realise it’s this incredible transformation. I also saw The Dooby Brothers and Earth Wind and Fire coming out of spaceships on the ceiling.
AQ: Did you play the Fallout games to prepare for the role?
KM: I saw someone else play it.
AQ: How do you like your coffee? Like Agent Cooper?
KM: The same: ‘As black as midnight on a moonless night.’ The audience applauses.
AQ: What was the craziest moment with David?
KM: When he’d get angry. He’s ‘funny angry.’ (He impersonates) ‘This is impossible!’ When he’s (Twin Peaks’) Gordon Cole. He’d get an answer so completely wrong, and it’s so hard not to laugh. One of the most difficult times was in The Return when I wanted to kill them. He knew I was going to write this book and he was going to write the foreword.
AQ: If you weren’t an actor, what would you be?
KM: A landscaper. AQ: Do you have any life advice for the follically challenged?
KM: My dad and grandfather have hair. Mom’s side, they all went bald in their 20s. Embrace it!
AQ: What inspired you to do the podcast?
KM: I did a podcast about Escobar’s smuggling. I wanted to do more as it was fun. I talked to a producer, and we landed on the topic of the younger generation’s creative side. It’s not an interview, just a conversation. I discovered the younger generations love a good chat.
AQ: Any advice for aspiring actors?
KM: Work as much as you can. Find your tribe, your community. Everyone will have different experiences. Work with whatever you can find.
AQ: What are the best and worst notes you’ve ever been given?
KM: The best is when the scene was amazing. The worst is, ‘You really wanna do it that way?!’
AQ: What’s your next TikTok?
KM: Maybe the book release, or Halloween themed. It might be a dance in the UK. I’m not saying!
AQ: Was there a director you wanted to work with?
KM: Francis Ford Coppola. I’m a huge admirer. Greta Gerwig. Maybe I could do Barbie 2? Ken’s Dad?
EB: I’m Just Ken’s Dad.
AQ: What makes a character compelling?
KM: Dimension. When you can see other sides, or when there are other actors that we can collaborate with. Play is the most important thing when you collab. Improv is work. My brain turns to pudding. It’s a great workout.
AQ: Had the acting process changed from Twin Peaks to The Return?
KM: Yes, the characters were different. It took more time to build the characters. Cooper was an amalgamation of me and David.
AQ: What was Sting like?
(Singer Sting played Feyd-Rautha in Dune.)
KM: Well, I kill him in the movie. He was a pleasure. We were in a dorm for a dressing room. He was gonna go on tour. He was working on his music a lot. I ‘happened’ –
He looks at us sarcastically…
KM: To walk past his door with a guitar. I learned the chords for Message in a Bottle. His music reminds me of that.
AQ: In the Twin Peaks Red Room scenes when you’re speaking backwards, what happens?
KM: I didn’t have to do too much. It was more about rhythm and sound. Less acting, more process.
AQ: What was it like working with Rick Moranis and John Goodman on The Flintstones?
KM: I’d watch John and Rick act. They’d huddle together like it was a science. They were masters of their craft.
A lone ‘woop’ goes out for the 5.1/10-IMDb-rated 1994 film.
KM: That’s a Flintstones fan right there.
AQ: What was David Bowie like? (Bowie played Philip Jeffries in the Twin Peaks sequel.)
KM: I worked on Fire Walk With Me. He’s (he impersonates with a gentle English accent) ‘hey, how’s it going?’ So easy-going, and really excited to be on the show.
EB: I sometimes find myself singing someone’s song in their faces. ‘Shaka Kahn.’ Is it just me?
KM: No. I met James Brown. ‘I feel good!’
AQ: Would you do The Traitors or any other reality TV?
KM: I’ve seen Richard E Grant on The Traitors. I dunno. I think I would be suspicious from the start.
AQ: How about Bake Off?
KM: How about 2 Fat Ladies? Travel the country in a sidecar and cook. That would be fun. How about I buy a farm? They’ve got potatoes.
AQ: What’s your favourite music from your work?
KM: Audrey’s Theme on Twin Peaks.
AQ: What’s your favourite movie?
KM: Apocalypse Now. There’s just something about it. You go into that world, one so haunting. Hopper’s in there. I did Roswell with Martin Sheen. I brought him the laserdisc of Apocalypse Now and Martin signed it. When people are important to me, I lose my shit.
The feeling’s mutual. Love a good celeb meet as you know. Also, Apocalypse Now is a top 10 movie for me. Sadly there was no signing, so MacLachlan and I never got to meet, but a copy of the book came with the scan of the pre-bought ticket on entrance to the theatre.
It’s a fascinating evening. Brain – and sphincter – fully engaged.
